Going into the New York Yankees 2020 season, Kyle Higashioka knew he would be the backup catcher for Gary Sanchez. He also knew that he would occasionally be catching to give Sanchez a day off or catch for him when he went on the IL. “Higgy” couldn’t count on that as Sanchez remained healthy during the short season. But what did happen, Kyle could not have expected. He became ace Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher that had him catching at least every five days. He also got to be the Yankee’s star catcher in the postseason.
In the last half of the 2020 season, Higashioka became an unlikely hero for the New York Yankees; not only did Cole select him as his personal catcher, but Kyle also made history at the plate.